Sentinels of Freedom

10/07/2026

Highlights from our 2026 Donor Appreciation Reception. 🇺🇸

Nearly 300 members of the Sentinels of Freedom community joined us for an evening honoring service, perseverance, and the people who stand behind the veterans we serve.

The evening included a Color Guard presented by the U.S. Army 63rd Readiness Division, performances of the National Anthem and “God Bless America” by January Karbowski, and a keynote from U.S. Marine Corps Captain Patrick Nugent, who shared his personal story of recovery after severe injuries.

Guests also heard a panel discussion on "Service, Transition, Post-Service Education and Career", with perspectives from the military, education, veteran community and private sector. We were also proud to recognize Pacific Gas and Electric Company with the 2026 Medal of Freedom for its longstanding work training, hiring and supporting veterans as they transition into civilian careers.

📸 Take a look at more moments from the evening in our photo gallery: https://sentinelsoffreedom.org/2026-gallery/

Veterans Never Stop Serving.

10/02/2026

Join us for the 2027 Sentinels of Freedom Crab Feed! 🦀

On Saturday, January 30, 2027, we’ll be in Lafayette for fresh crab, live and silent auctions, raffles and more.

Proceeds support Sentinels of Freedom and our work supporting severely wounded and injured post-9/11 veterans as they transition to civilian life and pursue their education and career goals.

🎟️ Individual dinner tickets: $95
⭐ Sponsorship opportunities are available

Tickets and sponsorships are on sale now:
https://SOFCrabFeed2027.auctria.events

09/30/2026

Sentinel Spotlight: Brent Patterson

U.S. Army veteran Brent Patterson served as an infantry sergeant with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. During his service, Brent was wounded on three separate occasions and awarded three Purple Hearts.

After leaving the Army, Brent began college and learned about Sentinels of Freedom while completing his associate degree and preparing to transfer to Frostburg State University. As a Sentinel, he received support and guidance that helped him stay focused on his education and prepare for a career in engineering.

Brent went on to earn his degree in materials engineering from Frostburg State University. Today, he is a test engineer at Northrop Grumman’s Allegany Ballistics Laboratory, where his work testing solid rocket motors helps support today’s warfighters. Northrop Grumman describes his story as finding “a new way to support the warfighter” at Allegany Ballistics Laboratory.

Brent’s service didn’t end when he left the Army.

Veterans Never Stop Serving.

09/23/2026

General Dynamics Mission Systems is once again matching donations to Sentinels of Freedom dollar-for-dollar through the 2026 GDMS campaign.

That means every gift made during the campaign goes twice as far in supporting severely wounded and injured post-9/11 veterans through Sentinels of Freedom’s Bridge for Education Program.

Support can include help with higher education, career development, financial stability, mentorship, and the transition to civilian life.

We are grateful to GDMS for continuing to stand with the veterans we serve.

Donate: sentinelsoffreedom.org/gdms-2026

09/16/2026

Sentinels of Freedom is proud to renew STEM tutoring support for student veterans at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs for the 2026–2027 school year.

Through SOF’s STEM Tutoring Grants, Veteran Resource Centers can provide additional academic support in challenging STEM courses and encourage student veterans to seek tutoring early, before they begin falling behind.

UCCS is one of 11 colleges and universities receiving STEM tutoring support from Sentinels of Freedom this school year:

Contra Costa College
Diablo Valley College
Los Medanos College
Las Positas College
College of Alameda
Chabot College
Monterey Peninsula College
City College of San Francisco
GateWay Community College
Montana State University
University of Colorado Colorado Springs

We are grateful to the Veteran Resource Center teams helping make this support available to student veterans on their campuses.

09/14/2026

After more than 24 years of service in the U.S. Navy, Master Chief Petty Officer Darius Johnson began preparing for a new way to serve.

Darius pursued the education and supervised training required to become a licensed chemical dependency counselor, with the goal of helping individuals and families affected by substance abuse and homelessness.

Through the Bridge for Education Program, Sentinels of Freedom supported Darius and his family with housing assistance, mentoring, financial coaching, and continued personal support as he worked toward his career goals.

His story is another example of how veterans continue serving their communities long after leaving the military.

Read Darius’s story: https://sentinelsoffreedom.org/darius-johnson/

09/11/2026

As our nation marks 25 years since September 11, Sentinels of Freedom founder Mike Conklin shared his reflections with Danville San Ramon on the importance of remembering that day, the sacrifices that followed, and passing those memories on to future generations.

The article also looks at how the events and aftermath of 9/11 helped shape the mission of Sentinels of Freedom and our continued commitment to severely wounded and injured post-9/11 veterans.

We encourage you to read and reflect on the full story.

Never Forget. Veterans Never Stop Serving.

The 9/11 attacks have drawn comparisons to Pearl Harbor ever since the second plane crashing into the Twin Towers that morning 25 years ago cemented the event as an intentional act of mass violence on U.S. soil rather than a freak accident.

09/11/2026

On Patriot Day, we remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001, and honor the first responders and service members who answered the call in the days and years that followed.

For many post-9/11 veterans, that day shaped a decision to serve our country.

Today, we remember those we lost and recognize all who stepped forward to serve.

We will never forget.

09/09/2026

This week, Sentinels of Freedom is proud to be the beneficiary of the Marathon Martinez Renewables Sporting Clays Charity Tournament at Bird’s Landing Hunting Preserve.

Proceeds from the tournament will support Sentinels of Freedom’s Bridge for Education Program for wounded and injured post-9/11 veterans, as well as STEM tutoring at Student Veteran Resource Centers.

We are grateful to Marathon Martinez Renewables, the event sponsors, and everyone participating for helping make this support possible.